Flyers captain Claude Giroux said in a statement that he was trying to be humorous when repeatedly groping a male cop in Ottawa, antics that led to a night in the slammer.

(Eric Hartline/USA TODAY Sports)

PHILADELPHIA – Flyers captain Claude Giroux is claiming that he meant to be funny groping a cop Tuesday night in Ottawa in his first (and possibly last) comments about his arrest.

Giroux, who spent a night in jail for his antics but was released without charges being filed, issued a three-paragraph statement Thursday afternoon.

“I regret my actions on Canada Day and sincerely apologize to my fans, teammates and the Philadelphia Flyers organization for my misguided attempt at humor.

“Following an investigation, law enforcement determined that charges are not warranted. I have the utmost respect for law enforcement and apologize to the Ottawa Police Department and specifically the individual officer. I will be making no further public comment on this matter.

“I will not be distracted from my ongoing preparation for the upcoming season. I remain 100 percent committed and focused on working with my team to return the Stanley Cup to Philadelphia.”

Giroux opted to make a statement instead of doing a teleconference with Flyers reporters.

In the same statement, Flyers general manager Ron Hextall issued a statement.

“We’ve been in contact with Claude and the Ottawa Police Service and have been informed that no charges will be filed. Moving forward, we will deal with this incident internally and we will no longer publicly discuss this matter.”

Actually, the Flyers haven’t discussed the matter at all.

Before Thursday, the organization's only comment was a statement from Hextall on Wednesday saying he was aware of the incident and would have no further comment until getting more information.